Cardiac effects of insect bites
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Associate Editor: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]
Snake bite
Cardiovascular effects of snake bites (snake venom) as follow;
- Coronary spasm and acute myocardial infarction [1] [2] [3]
- Hypercoagulability. There are some procoagulants such as arginine esterase in snake venom. Therefore, significant envenomation may result in Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)[4]
- Hypovolemic shock: Snake venom has haemorrhagins. Haemorrhagins increase vascular permeability and cause tendency to bleeding. Acute myocardial infarction can occur by profound hypotension and hypovolemic shock secondary to this bleeding tendency effect of snake venom. [6]
EKG Examples
Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicating Snake Bite
Scorpions
Death by scorpion sting, if it occurs, is the result of heart failure or respiratory failure a few hours after the incident.[7] The most frequent cardiovascular and pulmonary findings are: [8] [9] [10]
EKG Examples
Cardiovascular Manifestations of Scorpion Sting
References
- ↑ Aravanis Christ, Joannidis Paul J, Ktenas John. Acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident in a young girl after a viper bite. Br Heart J 1982; 47: 500-3
- ↑ Tony JC, Bhat R. Acute myocardial infarction following snake bite. Trop Doct 1995; 3: 137.
- ↑ Blondheim DS, Plich M, Berman M, Khair G, Tzvig L, Ez H J, Marmor AT. Acute myocardial infarction complicating viper bite Am J Cardiol 1996; 78: 492-3
- ↑ Aravanis Christ, Joannidis Paul J, Ktenas John. Acute myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident in a young girl after a viper bite. Br Heart J 1982; 47: 500-3
- ↑ Hoffman A, Levi O, Orgad U, Nyska A. Myocarditis following envenoming with Vipera palaestineae in two horses. Toxicon 1993;311623-28.
- ↑ Maheshwari M, Mittal SR, Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicating Snake Bite, JAPI, Vol. 52 • January 2004, 63-64
- ↑ Karnad DR. Haemodynamic patterns in patients with scorpion envenomation. Heart. May 1998;79(5):485-9. [Medline].
- ↑ Amaral CF, Lopes JA, Magalhaes RA, de Rezende NA. Electrocardiographic, enzymatic and echocardiographic evidence of myocardial damage after Tityus serrulatus scorpion poisoning. Am J Cardiol. Mar 15 1991;67(7):655-7. [Medline]
- ↑ Gueron M, Yaron R, Cardiovascular Manifestations of Severe Scorpion Sting Clinicopathologic Correlations, Chest, vol. 57, no. 2, February 1970, 156-62 Scorpion bite
- ↑ Bawaskar HS. Diagnostic cardiac premonitory signs and symptoms of red scorpion sting. Lancet. Mar 6 1982;1(8271):552-4. [Medline].
See also
External links
- US Center for Disease Control (CDC) fact sheet on snake bites
- Wilderness Utah
- First Aid for Snake Bites
- Snake envonomation treatment
- Poisonous snakes and lizards
- Firsthand account of a snakebite
- Victim’s account of rattlesnake bite – Crotalus atrox
- Wife’s account of the same Crotalus atrox bite
- Victim’s account of rattlesnake bite – Crotalus scutulatus
- Victim’s account of rattlesnake bite – Crotalus horridus
- SnakeBiteNews.com
- Venomous Snakes Information Community
- TheSnakeBite.tv
- Crotalus & Company
- U.S. Army pamphlet on snakebite symptoms and first aid
© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH